Cleveland Browns will conduct private workout with QB EJ Manuel at Florida State on Saturday

Cleveland Plain Dealer | Apr 17

The Browns will conduct a private workout with Florida State quarterback EJ Manuel Saturday in Tallahassee, a league source told The Plain Dealer today.

The Browns had originally planned to work out Manuel on April 5th, but had to postpone it because of scheduling conflicts.

Manuel, a dual-threat quarterback who went 25-6 at Florida State, also visited the Browns on Monday and really enjoyed his visit.

Manuel is one of the players the Browns are considering with their top pick in the draft -- whether that be their No. 6 or later if they trade down. Manuel, who won four bowl games in college, has said he thinks he'll go in the first round of the draft, which is April 25-27.

Manuel is also one of a handful of top quarterbacks the Browns have scouted in this draft. The others are West Virginia's Geno Smith, Syracuse's Ryan Nassib and Arizona's Matt Scott.

Meanwhile, Browns current starter Brandon Weeden said at minicamp Tuesday that he's not worried about the Browns drafting a quarterback in the first round because it's out of his control.

ESPN's Jon Gruden, who featured Manuel in his Quarterback Camp series, came away impressed.

“I like EJ a lot because I think you can call just about any scheme you want to call,'' he said. "I’ve seen him run the direct quarterback runs. He’s a presence inside the 10-yard line much like Cam Newton in Carolina is. I’ve seen him run various option plays and we know that’s certainly a major point of emphasis in the NFL right now.

"I know he can bring a lot to the table from an athletic standpoint. He’s a really fun kid to be around. The players like him. He helped the Seminoles win 12 games and an Orange Bowl. I think he can improve as a passer. I think he can improve his protection awareness and understanding.